NaZura BioHealth Spun Out of Elcelyx to Focus on Dietary Supplement

San Diego-based Elcelyx Therapeutics Inc. has formed a separate company called NaZura BioHealth to focus on developing Lovidia, a dietary supplement meant for weight management. Elcelyx has funded NaZura with a credit line of $5 million, which will be used for clinical development of the supplement.

It plans to commercialize Lovidia by early 2014.

The two companies will share a board of directors. Elcelyx will continue to develop its lead drug candidate, called NewMet, a delayed-release formulation of common diabetes drug metformin.